Partial combustion or gasification of coal involves reacting the coal at elevated temperatures and possibly elevated pressures in specially designed reactors with a limited volume of oxygen, the reaction preferably being carried out in the presence of additional agents such as steam, carbon dioxide, or various other materials. The inner surfaces of the reactor vessel are commonly lined, at least at the beginning of a process run, with various refractory materials, which are held in place in various ways. Among the preferred reactor liner materials are those described as high temperature plastic ramming refractories.
These materials, however, suffer from a tendency to develop cracks and undergo dimensional changes (shrinkage), etc., during start-up. While applicants have no desire to be bound by any theory of invention, it is believed that the problem is caused by chemical decomposition or dehydration of binder materials of the liner, in addition to the loss of physically bound moisture. The invention addresses this problem, providing a novel method for curing such liners, and a new liner in accordance with such curing technique.